Experience the best of Switzerland with this detailed 7-day plan. This itinerary is designed for travelers using a Swiss Travel Pass, which I used to cover almost all transportation costs.
Important Trip Info
- Base Location: For this entire 7-day itinerary, your home base will be the beautiful city of Lucerne. You will sleep here every night and take easy day trips to all the listed destinations!
- Swiss Travel Pass: It covers most trains, buses, and ferries.
- Timing: Start your days early to beat the crowds, especially for mountain excursions.
Day 1: The Majestic Mount Rigi
- Take a ferry from Lucerne to Vitznau, enjoying the view of Lake Lucerne.
- Board the historic cogwheel train from Vitznau to the summit of Mount Rigi (Rigi Kulm) for stunning 360-degree views. Mount Rigi is called the “Queen of the Mountains”, and this train is Europe’s first mountain train!
- The Descent: From Rigi Kulm, take the cogwheel train down to Rigi Kaltbad. From Rigi Kaltbad, take the aerial cable car down to Weggis.
- Take the ferry from Weggis back to Lucerne.
- Explore Lucerne city. Walk across the iconic Chapel Bridge and visit the Lion Monument.
- Price: The ferries, cogwheel trains, and aerial cable car are all 100% FREE with the Swiss Travel Pass.
Day 2: Lakes and Alpine Villages
- Travel: Train from Lucerne to Interlaken.
- Lake Brienz: Take a ferry from Interlaken to Iseltwald. This village offers iconic views.
- Grindelwald: Return to Interlaken by ferry, then take a train to Grindelwald. Walk through the village and enjoy the Eiger views.
- Explore Interlaken: Head back to Interlaken and stroll along the famous Hoheweg street. Take photos at the Yash Chopra Statue and popular DDLJ (Bollywood) spots. Relax and watch the paragliders landing in the park.
- Return: Take a relaxing train ride back to your base in Lucerne.
- Price: All transport is FREE with the Swiss Travel Pass.
Day 3: Alpine Coaster & Rhine Falls
- Mount Pilatus: From Lucerne train station, take Bus 1 (direction Kriens, Obernau) to the “Kriens, Zentrum Pilatus” stop. A 5-minute walk brings you to the Pilatus cable car base station.
- Activity: Take the panoramic gondola up to Fräkmüntegg. Here, you can ride the Alpine Coaster, which is Switzerland’s longest summer toboggan run at 1,350 meters, offering a thrilling slide down the mountain with spectacular views.
- City & Nature: Return to Lucerne, then take a train to Rhine Falls (Neuhausen). Witness Europe’s most powerful waterfall.
- Return: Back to Lucerne for the night.
- Note: Since we already enjoyed summit views at Mount Rigi on Day 1, we stopped halfway up Pilatus at Fräkmüntegg just for the Alpine Coaster. However, you can easily take the next cable car all the way to the very top (Pilatus Kulm) if you prefer full summit views!
- Price: The round-trip cable car ticket to Fräkmüntegg is approx. CHF 23 (or approx. CHF 39 if you continue all the way up to Pilatus Kulm). (Note: These prices include the 50% discount with your Swiss Travel Pass). The Alpine Coaster is about CHF 9 per ride. The train ride to Rhine Falls is FREE.
- Quick Tip: Download the Grand Train Tour Switzerland app. Show the code at the ticket counter when you return to get a free cap.
Day 4: The Snow Peaks of Mount Titlis
- Travel: Take a scenic train ride from Lucerne to Engelberg. From the Engelberg train station, it’s a short 10-minute walk to the Mount Titlis base station and ticket counter. From there, you will take the cable cars, including the spectacular Titlis Rotair (revolving cable car), up to the summit.
- Highlights: Walk the Cliff Walk (Europe’s highest suspension bridge) and explore the Glacier Cave. You can also ride the Ice Flyer chairlift over the glacier; you can easily pay the additional CHF 12 directly at the summit for this ride.
- Warning: This destination is very popular. It can be crowded, so expect to spend the entire day here.
- Price & Booking: With the Swiss Travel Pass, the cable car normally costs approx. CHF 48 round-trip. Quick Tip: It is highly recommended to book your tickets in advance via Klook, as they often offer better prices and help you skip the ticket lines!
Day 5: The Glacier Express Route (The Smart Way!)
- The Route: Travel from Lucerne to Chur using regular regional trains. These trains follow the exact same scenic tracks as the world-famous Glacier Express train.
- Why Regional Trains?: The official Glacier Express requires you to pay extra money for a mandatory seat reservation, even if you already have a Swiss Travel Pass. The regional trains look almost exactly like the expensive trains, but they are completely FREE with the pass!
- Explore Chur: Get off the train here to explore Switzerland’s oldest city and take a walk through the beautiful historic Old Town.
- Train to Andermatt: Board a regional train from Chur heading toward Andermatt. Along the way, the train passes through the Alpine village of Disentis, where you can spot the impressive Disentis Abbey right from your window.
- The Oberalp Pass: The train then climbs over the famous Oberalp Pass (2,044 meters). This high-altitude pass is known for its spectacular snow views; however, please note that if you are traveling in the peak of summer, you will likely not see any snow here!
- Explore Andermatt: Get off the train in Andermatt and take a short, exciting hike to the legendary Devil’s Bridge. The hike includes walking through a thrilling, narrow mountain passage right next to the bridge!
- Return: From Andermatt, catch the regular train service directly back to your base in Lucerne.
Day 6: Culture and River Traditions
- Explore Bern: Take a morning train from Lucerne to Bern, the capital city of Switzerland. Walk through the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town, marvel at the medieval Zytglogge (Clock Tower), and visit the famous Bear Park (BärenPark) along the river. Don’t miss the Rosengarten for a stunning panoramic view of the city.
- Travel to Basel: In the afternoon, take a quick train ride from Bern to Basel.
- Rhine River Swimming: If you are visiting in the summer, head to the riverbanks to watch a unique local tradition—hundreds of locals jump into the Rhine River and float downstream using colorful waterproof bags (called Wickelfisch) to commute!
- City Walk: Explore the iconic Basel Minster (Basler Münster) and walk over to the vibrant Marktplatz to see the stunning red Rathaus (Town Hall).
- Price: All inter-city trains and city transport are FREE with the Swiss Travel Pass.
Day 7: Zurich Exploration & Departure
- Travel to Zurich: Take a train to Zurich to spend your final day in Switzerland’s largest city.
- Zurich City Walk: Stroll down the world-famous Bahnhofstrasse for luxury window shopping. Wander through the historic Old Town (Altstadt) and visit the iconic twin-towered Grossmünster church. For the best view of the city, climb up to the Lindenhof viewpoint.
- Lakeside Relaxation: Take a leisurely walk along the beautiful Lake Zurich promenade, or even enjoy a short boat cruise on the lake (often free with the Travel Pass).
- Price: Local trams, boats, and trains to the airport are all FREE with the Swiss Travel Pass.
